The document provides a summary of the plot of the film Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood. It describes how the film tells the story of Nelson Mandela's attempt to use South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks, to help unite and reconcile the newly democratic, post-apartheid nation. After becoming president, Mandela sets the goal of the predominantly white Springboks winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup in an effort to gain support from black South Africans. The film shows Mandela's encouragement of Francois Pienaar, the Springboks captain, and how their victory in the final game helped bring the country together across racial divides.

1. Invictus
A management review

2. Introduction
• Directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and
Matt Damon.
• Based upon the infamous story of how Nelson Mandela finds
inspiration of uniting a nation, torn by the ravages of the
Apartheid era, through an all white rugby team – Springboks.
• The title Invictus is basically Victorian era poem written by
William Ernest Henley.
• Delivering a message of self mastery, Invictus, was regularly
read and recited by Nelson Mandela during his 27 years in jail.
• The famous phrase of the poem “I am the master of my fate, I
am the captain of my soul” has been an inspiration to many
people including Franklin D Roosevelt, Aung San, Nelson
Mandela, etc.,

3. Dramatis Personae
Morgan Freeman & Matt Damon Nelson Mandela & François Pienaar

4. The plot
• Backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s historic release
from Robben Island – 27 years of incarceration
• 4 years later - becomes the first black
president of South Africa
• President Mandela faced by the biggest
challenges of his presidency - How can you
bring about reconciliation among the majority
blacks and minority white people?

6. The plot
• The ill will which both groups hold towards each other is seen even
in his own security detail where relations between the established
white officers, who had guarded Mandela's predecessors, and the
black ANC additions to the security detail, are frosty and marked by
mutual distrust.
• Attends a game between the country’s rugby union team,
Springboks, and England
• Notices that majority of the black South Africans are rooting for the
England Team
– Reminded of his days in Robben Island where he too would root for
the side against Springboks.
– Springboks was widely looked upon by the black South African
population as a reminder of the white rulers of the Apartheid regime
as Springboks was a predominantly white team.

8. The plot
• Mandela is inspired on uniting his nation, torn by
the ravages of the Apartheid era, through an all
white rugby team – Springboks.
• Embodied by the slogan, “One Team, One
Country,” Mandela set the goal of the Springboks
winning the World Cup.
• Mandela’s journey as he tries to encourage black
South Africans to get behind the previously hated
national rugby team, as South Africa host
the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

10. The plot
• Mandela persuades a meeting of the newly black-dominated
South African Sports Committee to
support the Springboks.
• He then meets with the captain of the Springboks
rugby team, François Pienaar (Matt Damon), and
implies that a Springboks victory in the World
Cup will unite and inspire the nation.
• Mandela also shares with François a British
poem, "Invictus", that had inspired him during his
time in prison. – a gross in-accuracy

13. The plot
• Things begin to change
– The support for Springboks begins to increase in an incremental pace
– South Africa is pitted against the All Blacks of New Zealand in the finals
of the 1996 Rugby World Cup.
– The Springboks win an epic final over New Zealand, Mandela presents
the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar, an Afrikaner, wearing a
Springbok shirt with Pienaar's own number 6 on the back.
– This was widely seen as a major step in the reconciliation of white and
black South Africans; as de Klerk (the last President of the Apartheid
regime) later put it, "Mandela won the hearts of millions of white
rugby fans”.

15. The plot

16. The plot
• The movie ends with Mandela in his car
wading through the traffic filled with fans who
thronged to the street to celebrate after the
historic win and Mandela watching Rugby fans
Black and White celebrating together.
• A nation torn by Apartheid uniting to become
what is truly believed to be a rainbow nation.

17. Key Learning/Management Lessons
• Behaviour of a leader:
– The behaviour of a leader is extremely important to
successfully lead teams in organisations
– Globally Accepted Types of Leadership Behaviour:
• Task oriented
• People oriented
– President Mandela excellently displayed both task-oriented
and people oriented styles in his quest to build
the nation. He intended to transform the image of
Springboks in the eyes of the black natives and sought the
help of Pienaar. Through Pienaar’s leadership, the team
members successfully won the hearts of the black natives
and garner their support which steered the team to
victory.

18. Key Learning/Management Lessons
• Comprehensive team building
– Mandela’s ability to building a comprehensive
team around him comprising of black and white
South Africans. Mandela wanted a unified country
and he intended for his team to set the perfect
example for that cause

19. Key Learning/Management Lessons
• Performing the role of a change agent
– Mandela performs the role of a change agent by
leading from the front, leading by example and
motivating all the people regardless of the colour
of their skin who come in his presence.

20. Key Learning/Management Lessons
• Setting audacious goals
– Setting audacious goals is key aspect of
management skills.
– Mandela sets an audacious goal to captain
Piennar to win the Rugby World Cup (1995). He
believes (Mandela) that by winning the Rugby
World Cup, the Apartheid torn nation will unite.

21. Key Learning/Management Lessons
• Supporting the team
– Apart from setting audacious goals, a key
management skill is to believe in your team and
stand behind them regardless of how steep the
mountain is and the challenges posed to the
team.
– Mandela’s undying belief in his team, inspires
them to go beyond the call of duty and win the
world cup against all odds.